Pericles's children

If the name Thomas Muir doesn't ring many bells, you may be the perfect candidate for a trip to the brand-new Museum of Australian Democracy, set to open soon in Canberra. It's true that Australians score well on democratic participation surveys - but then again, compulsory voting means that we have to. But how much do we know about the traditions and ideas which started in Mesopotamia and ancient Greece and, through British democracy, weaved their way Down Under? How willing are we to sign petitions, to lobby, to take to the streets and protest, to write a letter of complaint? Do we take for granted the democratic freedoms awarded to us through Australian democracy? Today, the National Interest takes a tour through the new museum and reflects on the changing nature of our democracy. And, of course, we'll find out what Scottish radical Thomas Muir has to do with Australia.

Transcript

Voice: Now let's see what Fraser and his Cabinet decide to do in 1977. On May 23, the Fraser Cabinet decides that Australia has a humanitarian responsibility to accept refugees. Under the policy, 7,000 new refugees will be allowed to stay in Australia each year. Boat people who arrive from Vietnam without documents or official permission will also be allowed to stay.

Peter Mares: This is the National Interest, on ABC Radio National. I'm in the Cabinet Room at Old Parliament House in Canberra, part of the new Museum of Australian Democracy.

And now, it's time for me to trudge up the hill to New Parliament House, where I've got an appointment with Special Minister of State, Senator John Faulkner, who's been one of the people very much behind all the building work that's going on here at Old Parliament House.

But Senator Faulkner has got bigger renovation plans: he actually wants to renovate the whole system of Australian democracy itself.

Voice: But the story of Australia's refugees doesn't end with the Fraser's 1977 decision...

Peter Mares: Well, I'm now up the hill in the Office of Special Minister of State, Senator John Faulkner. Senator Faulkner, welcome to The National Interest.

John Faulkner: Great to be with you, Peter.

Peter Mares: What are your aspirations for the house down the hill, for the Museum of Australian Democracy, as it's about to become?

John Faulkner: It's going to be the only museum in Australia which will be dedicated to telling the story of our democracy and we're going to have a very enhanced experience for people who go to Old Parliament House.

Peter Mares: You never sat in the Old Parliament House, I don't think.

John Faulkner: No, I didn't. I became a Senator on April 4, 1989, so I really just missed out. To show you how times move on, of course, there's only one out of 76 senators who's had continuous service since that time.

Peter Mares: And who's that?

John Faulkner: That's Senator Ron Boswell, from Queensland. I think Ron came into the Parliament in 1983 and he's had continuous service since that time.

Peter Mares: And there's a few still in the lower house, I guess; people like Philip Ruddock, for example.

John Faulkner: Indeed. There are a few but each and every election, fewer and fewer.

Peter Mares: You have a deep and abiding interest in matters of democracy and political process, not just as special minister of state but a personal interest in the history of politics, and so on. And you came into government with an agenda for not only a Museum of Democracy but also for renovating our system of political process: things like electoral funding, things like accountability and transparency, of lobbying and all the rest of it. How are you going with that agenda? It seems to be taking longer than you might have hoped.

John Faulkner: Well, it's an important agenda, a critically important agenda, and I don't think it's fair to say that it's taking a long time. You've already seen very significant reforms chalked up. For the first time we have a Code of Conduct for ministerial staff. We have, as you've mentioned, a code for lobbying and the lobbyists register. We have now new advertising guidelines to ensure that we put an end to partisan advertising. In the last week or so I've announced major reforms to Freedom of Information. They're just some examples of the government's commitments in these areas. It is true to say that I've had a long record, and I've tried to keep a consistent approach, regardless of what position I've held or what side of the chamber. I have a strong commitment to transparency and openness in government. I have a strong commitment to accountability and the Parliament's accountability mechanisms and I have an opportunity now to progress some of those issues.

Now, you say some things take time. Well, I've been very disappointed that a bill that I've presented on a couple of occasions to the Senate to increase the level of transparency in relation to electoral donations in this country was not supported by the Opposition, so it was defeated. I'm very committed to banning overseas donations to Australian political parties. That was one of the measures that was defeated. Very committed to reducing the current donation disclosure threshold from what is $10,900 introduced under the Howard government, reduce that right back to $1,000: that's another provision of legislation we've seen defeated in the Senate. But I can say this to you, Peter: I intend to keep working on these issues. They are critically important reforms that also go to ensuring the health of Australia's democracy.

Peter Mares: The Opposition accuses you of cherry-picking the bits of electoral reform - bringing them forward - that will suit the ALP, suit Labor, and which will disadvantage the Coalition. So that the bits of electoral disclosure you've chosen to move with first - bringing down the level at which donations have to be declared, and so on - will benefit Labor and not the Coalition. They say it should be all done as a whole package.

John Faulkner: Well, I don't truck any criticism from the Liberal Party on these sorts of issues. These sorts of reform that I have mentioned - banning foreign donations, banning anonymous donations, reducing the disclosure threshold from $10,900 to $1,000, to end the rort where you can make multiple donations under the disclosure level to a whole range of branches, different State and territory and federal or national branches of political parties, and so completely abuse the disclosure limit, that's another reform... To end the rort where public funding can be paid to a candidate or party even though they haven't expended those funds in an election campaign. So, I reject any criticism at all that these aren't urgent measures - they are very urgent measures: they should be done now. And not only should those measures have already been enacted, but that doesn't stop the process of broader campaign finance reform, which I'm very committed to.

Peter Mares: What kind of model do you want to see in that further reform? Because there are various models out there: there're caps on overall spending as they have in Canada; there're caps on the size of donations, as they also have in Canada. I mean, everyone agrees - all sides of politics agree - that the electoral spending arms race has to end in Australia.

John Faulkner: Well, that's terminology that I think I probably coined and said in launching a Green Paper which we've produced on this issue of campaign financing and we do have an arms race in terms of the funding flowing through to political parties and candidates. And that must stop. So the government has brought forward a Green Paper. We're currently seeing the consultation phase and I've indicated publicly that I'm going to talk to all those who are interested, regardless of what political party they happen to be in, to see if we can, in a consultative way, work through an acceptable model. And I'm deliberately not saying I have an absolutely preferred model. I am happy to work co-operatively with other like-minded people who want to ensure that we improve the health of Australia's democracy.

Peter Mares: I assume you're running into some resistance from within the Labor Party as well, particularly in the States, I guess, where party administrators often get money from the Australian Hotels Association or from property developers and so on. Are you striking a lot of resistance from within the ALP for these sorts of changes?

John Faulkner: What I have found is across the board in the Labor Party, there is a strong view that our campaign financing laws need to be reformed. I've also found a strong level of support in other political parties as well. So I think people in the Labor Party and other political parties do understand this.

Peter Mares: Senator Faulkner, you've also promised a second Green Paper - where's that up to and what will that cover?

John Faulkner: That's being developed at the moment. We've deliberately put the electoral reform issues into two, broad categories. The first Green Paper that I've talked to you about deals with campaign finance issues, donations, disclosure expenditure and the like. The second Green Paper is dealing with the raft of other issues in relation to electoral reform.

Peter Mares: So what does that look at? Things like electoral terms, fixed parliamentary terms, that kind of thing?

John Faulkner: It probably won't go in any detail to the issue of constitutional reform, such as the ones that you've just mentioned. But basically every other element of electoral law, matters that are on the agenda in relation to the second Green Paper... and there's an opportunity through this process to put any issue of concern onto the agenda. The aim of the exercise is to have the best electoral laws we can have. Let's get the best laws we can, let's get the fairest laws we can, let's get an electoral system in this country of absolute integrity. We used to have that, I don't think we have now. An electoral reform of this nature, I think, is long overdue.

Peter Mares: I was speaking to one of your backbench colleagues from the ALP recently, who said 'If governments don't do these sorts of things - like Freedom of Information and electoral reform - in their first term, they don't happen'.

John Faulkner: Well, I don't know whether that's right or wrong, but I think these things are high priorities. This government has been elected with some clear commitments in relation to issues like Freedom of Information. I see an important role for me to ensure, as minister, that those election commitments are implemented.

Peter Mares: Senator Faulkner, thank you for your time.

John Faulkner: Thanks, Peter.

Peter Mares: Special Minister of State, Senator John Faulkner.

Guests

Jenny Anderson

Director, Old Parliament House

Katie Cowie

Deputy Director, Exhibitions, Research and Programs, Old Parliament House

Senator John Faulkner

Special Minister of State

Joy McCann

Senior Historian, Museum of Australian Democracy

Michael Richards

Historian at the museum responsible for overseeing the creation of the 'Decision Theatre'